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Is your house too hot? Too cold?

Do you find you need to continually raise your thermostat another degree ot two in the winter? Or lower it in the summer?

It could be that you HVAC (Heating Ventilation Cooling System) needs some attention.

There isn’t very much that the average homeowner can do to repair a system if it doesn’t function properly. But there is one thing you can do to keep it operating the way it should. And it’s one thing many homeowners do not do.

CHANGE THE FILTER

That’s right. You’ve heard it often enough, but a large percentage of homeowners do not change the filter in their HVAC system. In fact, many simply remove the filter. And that is worse than not changing it.

Changing the filter is a pretty simple process. It takes me about 90 seconds. Just remove and replace.

There are many types of filters. There are special ones to use if you have pets. There are filters designed to last 90 days before replacing. There are inexpensive ones that are designed to be replaced every 30 days. And remember – your HVAC system is rarely used in late April, May, early June, September and early October. So that’s at least 3 months where you don’t need to replace.

A main cause of an inefficient HVAC system is a lack of air. Keeping your filter clean is an easy way to aid that problem.

Do you have hot water baseboard heat, radiators or electric heat? If so, you only use the air conditioning system for about 3 months. Use the 90 day filter when you turn the system off at the end of summer. Then install a new filter, but first wrap the filter in plastic to keep the heated air from escaping the home via the ductwork. Also, close the vents off for the same reason. And don’t forget to remove the plastic at the beginning of the season. What I tell people is to turn off the AC circuit breaker and put a note on it to remove the plastic in the spring.

There are other possible causes, such as worn parts, necessary adjustments, leaks in the system or even old age. If keeping the filters clean doesn’t do the trick, it’s time to call in an HVAC technician.